Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Repeated Pleadings! – Mark 14:39

Key Passage

Key Thought

So often we find ourselves repeating the same prayer several times. Is this wrong? Should we keep on praying? How often is too often to pray the same prayer? These are legitimate questions. We do know several things for certain. First, even though Jesus requested God to let the coming crisis of the Cross be lifted from him, God did not grant his request. Jesus asked that God’s will be done and not his own. We are told that Jesus’ prayer was heard (Hebrews 5:7-9). This is a reminder that God can hear us and answer “No” to our prayer. He may have other and bigger plans for us if we are willing to submit ourselves to his will. Second, Jesus prayed for deliverance three times while submitting himself to the will of God. (Paul also prayed three times for his thorn in the flesh to be removed as well. See 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.) So I believe that we should seek the Lord repeatedly about issues. In fact, Jesus encourages us to keep on praying and not lose heart (Luke 18:1-8). Yet it is crucial that we are willing to leave it in God’s hands to answer in the way that glorifies him. Finally, since Jesus faced such desperate trials, we can be assured that we can go to the Father through him and know that we are heard—not just our words, but the unspeakable emotions of our hearts (Romans 8:26-27).

Prayer

Father, please hear the prayer of my heart. I want to ask you to please … (add your own prayer concern here.) Yet Father, not what I want, but may your will be done in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Related Scriptures

While Christ lived on earth he prayed to God and asked God for help. God is the One who could save him from death, and Jesus prayed to God with loud cries and tears. And God answered Jesus’ prayers because Jesus was humble and did everything God wanted. Jesus was the Son of God. But Jesus suffered and learned to obey by the things that he suffered. Then Jesus was perfect. And Jesus is the reason that all those people who obey him can have salvation forever.
— Hebrews 5:7-9

But I must not become too proud of the wonderful things that were shown to me. So a painful problem was given to me. That problem is an angel from Satan (the devil). It is sent to beat me and keep me from being too proud. I begged the Lord three times to take this problem away from me. But the Lord said to me, “My grace (kindness) is enough for you. When you are weak, then my power is made perfect in you.” So I am very happy to boast about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can live in me. So I am happy when I have weaknesses. I am happy when people say bad things to me. I am happy when I have hard times. I am happy when people treat me badly. And I am happy when I have problems. All these things are for Christ. And I am happy with these things, because when I am weak, then I am truly strong.
— 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Also, the Spirit helps us. We are very weak, but the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We don’t know how to pray like we should. But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us. The Spirit begs God for us. The Spirit speaks to God with deep feelings that words cannot explain. God can see what is in people’s hearts. And God knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit speaks to God for his people in the way that God wants.
— Romans 8:26-27